About Us

Our story

Aw Pottery Studio was founded by the late Mr. Aw Eng-Kwang in mid-1940. The studio had a humble beginning making latex cups for the rubber industry, and later developed into a famous art center. Eng-Kwang’s talent had never been recognized until he joined the First Sculpture Exhibition in Singapore in 1967 and a solo sculpture show in Kuala Lumpur in 1968. Eng-Kwang’s natural creativity and magical handwork of arts led to the success of Aw Pottery.

Aw Pottery lampstands and shades were widely used by major international hotels in Singapore and Malaysia. The Aw family’s pottery studio flourished into a popular tourist attraction in Machap, Malaysia, and it became a must-visit for locals and overseas visitors, including Johor’s Sultanah and Crown Prince and Jack Lord, star of the original "Hawaii Five-O" and a renowned artist in his own right.

Eng-Kwang designed and constructed the unique Minangkabau pottery showroom, and the famous “Long House” Aw Restaurant, where unique dishes, such as wild boar meat and lemon chicken were served. These two dishes were extremely popular and even the chefs of the Hilton and Hyatt hotels in Singapore wanted the recipes. Eng-Kwang ‘s greatest accomplishments were designing Machap’s famous bathroom and sculpting the two ceramic door gods for the Hilton Hotel in Singapore.

In 1980, Eng-Kwang and his wife decided to retire in Berkeley, California, United States. He and his wife had a very pleasant retirement until they passed away in 1996 and 2012, respectively.

Without Eng-Kwang, Aw Pottery's glory light slowly faded to a dormant stage for several years. In 2013, Aw Lee Lang, the youngest in the family, decided to return to Malaysia and give the studio a facelift in order to revive Aw Pottery. The place is now refreshed with a new look and renewed energy.